Resurrection Christian football team ready for biggest game in school history

Nov. 7, 2013

Resurrection Christian quarterback Luke Mondt shown in a practice earlier this season. Mondt and the rest of the Cougars are in the playoffs for the second time in school history and host No. 1 Buena Vista Saturday. / V. Richard Haro/The Coloradoan

Actually, he’s had a hard time focusing on much of anything that doesn’t involve Saturday’s quarterfinal football game.

It’s not hard to see why. Lohr is a senior and facing not only the biggest game of his high school career but also the biggest football game in Resurrection Christian School’s history at 1 p.m. Saturday. That’s when the Cougars play No. 1 Buena Vista at Fossil Ridge High School.

“It’s super exciting and super nerve-wracking as well,” Lohr said. “It’s been on my mind since we won in the first round over Platte Canyon. It’s constantly on my mind. We’re watching a bunch of film, and I’m watching film in class if we’re not doing anything.”

It’s a daunting task for RCS (7-2). The Cougars are the No. 9 seed. Buena Vista is 10-0 and has beaten its last four opponents by an average of 37 points per game.

But after what RCS has gone through this season, the Cougars are not going to be scared. In the first game of the season, star quarterback Luke Mondt broke his arm. Injuries across the lineup continued to mount, hitting the QB position hardest.

The Cougars have used four different players at quarterback. RCS started 1-2 and things looked bleak following a loss at Yuma.

Then on homecoming, the Cougars stunned Holyoke, and the momentum has carried on for six consecutive wins.

Now Mondt is back and healthy, the offense is clicking, and the defense has stepped up, leaving first-year coach Mark Roggy beaming with pride.

“I’m really proud of the kids for how hard they’ve worked and how far they’ve come along,” Roggy said. “To watch kids mature and grow and develop like we’ve been able to do here is a gratifying thing for a coach. That’s why you do what you do.”

This is only the second time in school history the football program has made the playoffs, losing in the quarterfinals in 2011. Having a home quarterfinal game against the No. 1 team is a chance to put football on the map with other RCS sports — like baseball, basketball, hockey and volleyball — that have had sustained success.

“Last year, I didn’t get to play because I broke my leg early in the season,” wide receiver and defensive back Brock Buxman said. “I really wanted to help the team out this year. It’s been my dream to win a state championship. That’s all of our dream.”